This invention is in the field of bedding, and is more specifically directed to box spring covers and dust ruffles.
Conventional covers and dust ruffles are commonly used in connection with box spring and mattress sets for beds. As is well known, dust ruffles extend from the bed to the floor to decoratively cover the open space below the bed frame, and also to help prevent the gathering of dust under the bed. Especially in the home, conventional box spring covers are generally fabricated of a material to match the comforter and draperies of the bedroom; often, the dust ruffle is formed integrally with the box spring cover. Box spring covers and dust ruffles for home use are typically either made according to a standard size, or custom made to fit a specific bed.
In the hospitality industry, typical beds receive significant wear over time, particularly at the sides of box springs. Side wear of hotel bed box springs typically renders the box springs unsightly long before the support provided by the box springs begins to degrade. Conventional box spring covers are used in hotels to provide both a decorative appearance for the bed box springs, usually coordinated with the room decor, and also to provide wear protection for the box spring sides. Dust ruffles are also commonly used with hotel beds, to provide additional decorative accent and to inhibit the gathering of dust, as noted above Various dust ruffle and box spring or mattress covers are known in the art, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,139,980, U.S. Pat. No. 2,763,875, U.S. Pat. No. 3,999,233, U.S. Pat. No. 4,141,097, U.S. Pat. No. 4,587,683, U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,316, U.S. Pat. No. 5,335,383, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,353,456. In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 5,205,003 describes a dust ruffle that is attachable by way of hook-and-loop fasteners to a box spring cover.
Of course, hotels typically include beds of various sizes, such as full, queen, and king. The arrangement of beds in a hotel can often change over time, depending upon changes in demand for beds of different types in the various rooms. In addition, it is not uncommon for box springs and mattresses to be moved among the hotel rooms, depending upon the particular needs for a given day or season. As a box spring is moved from room to room, the associated box spring cover and dust ruffle must be changed to match the decor of the new room. Accordingly, conventional box spring covers that are coordinated with a particular room decor and that are made to fit a particular sized bed may not fit a different size box spring. For interchangeability of conventional box spring covers in hotels, therefore, a significant inventory of box spring covers must be maintained, for each bed size and each room decor choice.
In addition, the bed frames or platforms may vary in height from the floor among the various rooms of the hotel. As such, custom dust ruffles that fit a particular box spring and frame may not fit when used in connection with a different box spring and frame. Accordingly, the hotel inventory of dust ruffles must also be enlarged for all foreseeable combinations of box spring size, frame height, and room decor. Such increase in inventory is expensive, and as such either adds to the cost of maintaining the hotel or results in box spring covers and dust ruffles not being used (thus impacting the appearance of the rooms).
By way of further background, a significant portion of the daily maintenance of guest rooms involves the “making” of the beds by chambermaids, including the daily changing of sheets. The time required to make each bed thus has a significant impact on the productivity of the chambermaids. Many conventional dust ruffles and box spring covers, particularly those where the dust ruffle hangs from between the mattress and the box spring, are easily disturbed by the changing of the bedsheets, and must then be repositioned by the chambermaid to provide the desired appearance. In addition, some conventional dust ruffles and box spring covers may require removal of the mattress for repositioning of the dust ruffle and cover. Furthermore, as the dust ruffles themselves require periodic laundering, conventional dust ruffles require the time-consuming and cumbersome removal of the mattress both for removal of the dust ruffle for laundering, and its replacement. As such, the daily room maintenance budget and schedule must account for the time required for the removal of mattresses in repositioning, removing, and replacing conventional dust ruffles.
By way of further background, U.S. Pat. No. 5,749,110, issued May 12, 1998, entitled “Box Spring Wrap and Dust Ruffle System”, commonly owned herewith and incorporated herein by this reference, describes a box spring wrap and dust ruffle system, in which the box spring wrap is fabricated of a material to which hooks, of a hook-and-loop fastener system, may be attached. The wrap has a length selected so that it is long enough to wrap around two sides and the foot of the perimeter of a large box spring, such as a king size; the wrap also preferably is of a length so as to be tied about the perimeter of a smaller size box spring, such as a full size or a queen size. Drawstrings are provided to secure the wrap around the box spring. The dust ruffle of the system has hook fasteners attached to the reverse side along the top, and thus may be attached at any height of the wrap when secured about a box spring.